Does pregnancy exacerbate fibro symptoms? I have always thought my daughter has fibro..has MANY symptoms of it, but has never been diagnosed..don't even know where to go for that around here...but since being pregnant (8weeks), she is having extreme pains throughout body...neck, arms, ribs, back, etc.

I totally believe that pregnancy is what caused my fibro. I had a very difficult pregnancy and ended up with an emergency cesarean section 4 weeks early due to all of the complications. The very night I had my baby, almost 7 months ago now, I knew something was different with my body. For a couple of months I kept going back to the doctor thinking I had some kind of infection. I was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia when my baby was like 3 months old. My doctor was very aggressive, did a lot of testing, and has been willing to try almost any medication to find something that helps. I'm finally settled into a good regimen and am doing much better now. If only I could get off the pain pills....wishful thinking for now I suppose.

I hope your daughter doesn't have it or can deal with the symptoms until that baby is born. I feel for her. I would never be able to go through a pregnancy with fibro. (Andy, I still don't know how you did it! lol)

I can only respond based on my experiences with fibro and pregnancy, and everyone is different!

I was dx'd with fibromyalgia when I was 24, about 2 years after the birth of my first child. I went through the typical symptoms and reached a point where I had to hold onto the wall to support my weight while I walked (and mind you, at the time, I weighed all of 120lbs!) and I was convinced I had Alzheimers (my mother has early-onset Alzheimers - started at age 43).

I went through all of the pain meds on a regular basis, the relafen, the slew of anti-depressants, the soma twice a day, etc... and of course those lovely triggerpoint injections that caused me such horrible pain for 4 days before helping at all, it was hardly worth it!

I'm one of the lucky sufferers, however. I've found that as long as I get refreshing sleep, eat pretty well and exercise, (without overdoing it) I can live a very functional life, with the occasional bad flare up, but it's not debilitating like it was at one point. Lots of antioxidents, and less flour and sugar!!

In any case, I got pregnant with my second child in 2000 and after the first trimester, all symptoms of the fibro were gone for the duration of the pregnancy. I can't say this is typical, but I can say that it was a great relief to have relief I still felt tired a lot, throughout the entire pregnancy, but I only had minor pain. (Compared to pregnancy #1 with sciatic problems).

I'm working on getting pregnant with #3, and I have faith that I can manage my pain throughout.

Keep in mind, my doctor told me once that he'd never met a woman with kids that wasn't diagnosed with fibromyalgia. And the drugs often end up being a crutch without helping.

I know it's hard to get up and exercise while in pain ... thinking you'll just wait another day until the pain goes away -- but drink a **lot** of water and take antioxidents, throw some lemon juice in the water and I tried DHEA to get through the worst spells. Nothing works for everyone, but Fibro is a manageable pain, once you find what works for you!

Thanks for all the responses...I really think my daughter has this...I think I do too...I also have MS, so my symptoms get shrugged off as MS//// I don't know of a dr. who "belives" in Fibro to take my daugher to...one dr. I heard of you have to have a recommendation from another dr...so I don't know how to get into see her...Right now she is in so much pain...she is 8 weeks and I am hoping she too will be one of the ones who symptoms completely go away for the rest of the pregnancy or better yet, FOREVER!